Material distributing receptacle



Dec. 12, 1950 G. K. VIALL ETAL MATERIAL DISTRIBUTING RECEPTACLE FiledMaren i4. 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 G. K. vlALl. R..F. LINDow mms/Tons BYATToRN Dec. 12, 1950 G. K. v|AL.| ET AL 2,534,211

MATERIAL DISTRIBUTING RECEPTACLE Filed March 14, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2G. K. VIALL R. F. LINDOW INVENTORS BY ATTORN Dec. 12, 1950 G. K. v|A|ETAL 2,534,211

MATERIAL DISTRIBUTING RECEPTACLE Filed March 14, 1947 s sheets-sheet sG. K. VIALL R.F. LINDOW INVENTUM` BY ATToRN Patented Dec. 12, 1950UNITED STATES P'iENT OFFICE dow, Wauwatosa, Wis., assignors to ChainBelt Company,. Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin ApplicationMarch 14, i947, Serial No. 734,653

(Cl. 21e- 59) 3 Claims. 1

The invention relates to mechanism for controlling the discharge doorsof traveling material handling receptacles, of which the buckets of theWell known boom and bucket" distributing apparatus widely employed inconjunction with paving concrete mixers for the placement of concrete inroad building vand street paving operations may furnish a typicalexample.

The invention has for its principal object the provision of an improvedremote control mechanism for such receptacle doors whereby the operator,from a fixed control station, may cause opening and closing of the doorsat will, to any desired degree within their limits of movement, and/ormay maintain them for any desired time in any position within suchlimits, all without regard to the position of the receptacle on the boomor other trackway, or of its rate and/or direction of travel thereon.

For purposes of disclosure an application of the principles of theinvention to this particular species of material distributing apparatushas been illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification, but it will be clear from the following description thatsuch Iprinciples may be readily7 incorporated into analogous types ofapparatus without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the said drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, of thedischarge end portion of a conventional paving concrete mixer and itsassociated boom and bucket distributing apparatus, equipped with oneform of bucket door control mechanism. constructed and arranged inaccordance with the invention, the parts being shown in the positionsthey occupy when the door is closed;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, on a slightly larger scaleyillustrating thepositions assumed by the parts when the door is fully open;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view;

- Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional-elevational view on the planeindicated by the line A-fi of Fig. l, looking in the direction of thearrows; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional-plan view on the plane dicated by the line 5 5 ofFig. 2.

Referring to the said drawings more in detail, the frame IIJ of theconcrete mixer I I has a subn stantially horizontal boom I2 mounted uponit for swinging movements, which boom comprises a pair of oppositelyfacing transversely spaced channel beams I3 and Hi, the lower flanges ofwhich provide trackways for the wheels or rollers bucket is open at itstop for the reception of the concrete from the mixer I l, and `isprovided with a bottom discharge opening I8 controlled by a swingingdoor E9 which may be swung between the closed position shown in Fig. 1and the open position shown in Fig. 2 by suitable linkage 20 terminatingin a bell-crank lever 2i pivotally mounted at 22 on an upper portion ofthe bucket. The carriage iii and bucket I1 are drawn outwardly along theboom i2, i. e. from right to left as viewed in Figs. l and 2, bytraction means comprising an outward-traverse cable 23, anchored to thebucket carriage at 2@ and passing around idler sheaves 25, 25 an-d 2l'to a winding drum 28 mounted on an upper portion of the4 mixer frame I0and arranged to be driven in either direction at will from the mixerpower plant, through a chain drive 29. The carriage and bucket are drawninwardly along the boom by an inwardtraverse cable 3! which is alsoattached to the carriage by the anchor 24 and extends therefrom aroundan idler sheave 32, adjacent the sheave 21, t0 the winding drum 2B, uponwhich it is Wound in a direction opposite to that in which the cable 23is wound.

The parts thus far described are more or less conventional in this typeof apparatus, as are also the controls (not shown) whereby the operator,from his station on the mixing machine, may hold the winding drumstationary and/or cause rotation of it in either direction at will.

The mechanism for enabling the operator to have full control at alltimes over the movements and position of the bucket door iS comprises adoor-control cable separate from the buckettraverse cables 23 and 3i,which door-control cable has portions and 35 extending in oppositedirections from the upper end of the bellcrank lever 2i, to which thesaid cable is secured as by clips 3l. From this anchorage the cableportion 35 passes around idler sheaves 58, 39 and Ml, journalled on thesaine shafts as the idlers 25, 26 and 2'! respectively, so that at leastthis part of the door-control cable substantially parallels thecorresponding portion of the outwardtraverse cable 123. From the sheaveIl@ the cable portion 35 extends upwardly to and partially around idlers4I and 42, and thence to a winding drum 43 mounted on the mixer frame I0adjacent the drum 28. The other door-control cable portion 3S extendsfrom the anchorage 3'! to the sheave 45 (Fig. 4) journalled on the sameshaft as the sheaves 2l, 32 and 40, thence upwardly to and partly aroundidlers 56 and 4l and to the drum 43, about which it is wound in adirection opposite to that in which cable 35 is wound. A chain andsprocket drive 48 drives the winding drum 43 from the drum 28, in thesame directions and at the same speeds as the latter, and thus theseveral cables 23, 3|, 35 and 36 will all be caused to vtravelat thesame speeds.

The idlers 4I and* 465 are floatingly journalledy on a shaft 5!) mountedin a yoke 5E carried by the piston rod 52 of a double actingreciprocating hydraulic or other fluid-pressure motor 53 mounted n themixer frame i6. Fluid mayfbe alternately admitted to andexhausted. fromthe opposite ends of the cylinder of. such. motorv through appropriateconduits. t` which. extend to the operators station on the mixingmachine, where they are connected` with any suitable control valvewhereby iluid'pressure sup'- ply and relief to and from the motor. maybe eiected as desired.

It will be. noted that the portion 35. of the door-control' cable is.trained about; the right hand portion of its idler 4l', whilethecompanion cable. portion 35 vis trained. about' the. left handportion* of its id1'er'46`. With the parts in" the positions shown inFig. l, and with the winding drums vZlland Sheld aganst'rotati'onAwhereby the bucket isstationary on the boom, if fluid be admitted toVthe lefth'and'endof motorcylim der-`53" and exhausted Vfrom the right"hand. end thereof, whereby to.cause-movemen't`ot th'episton' rod 521.yoke 5'! and idlers 4i and 45' from the Fg. l. position toward' thevFig: 2' position; the idler' 412 will' increase thetension on door;-control cable 35While the idler '45'\vill;te'nd to relieve .tension oncable. Since the drum i3 in effect servesas an anchor for. thosevportions ofitherespective cables between such drumand the idlers 4|'and et, ,the pull thus imposedon thek cable 35i, in conjunction with`the slackem ingof the tensionLon cable' 3%, produces move;

menti of the portions.- of such' cables` extending fromv saidl idlerstothe bucket. l1, which cable movement shifts the bell-crank lever 2l.`from its'Fig: 1 position toward or to its. `Fig..2' posittion andthrough linkage Zpartially or'fully opens the do'or I9. The parts'.are.` soproportioned that! a full" stroke" of. the piston of the motor53willprodu'ce full opening of the said door, and obviously` if suchpiston. be m'oved through less. than its full stroke the, door. will bebut correspondinglypartially opened. When the` piston stops movement.oijthe cables 35 and 36,' lever 21,. linkage. 2G' and. door ielikewiseceases, .and the door will be retained'. in the'posi.-

tion to which it has been moveduntil the motor 53 is again actuatedl If.such actuation be in a direction opposite to thatfabove-rei'erredlto,the idler 46 willi increase the tension. on cable 35 while the idler 4"!willAV slacken tension on cable 35,'. with consequent. reverse movementofthe lower cable portions which. will return the lever 2.1. toward ortoits Fig. 1 position,4 with correspendingclosing movement ofjthebucketdoorlg.

Obviously, the door controlfjust. describedl may take placewith thebucket positioned at any p'oint along` ther boom. within. the. limitsot.its travel. thereon;l and the door movements may also be eiected whilethe bucket is traveling in eitle'r.- direction on the boom. 'lhus ifwith.. the do'or" closed' as in Fig. 1, the Winding drum 28 be operatedvin` such direction as to cause. the outward-traverse cable 23' topropel. the bucket outwardly'onv the' boom,- the synchronously operatedwindillg.- drum 43 will be. moving, the door-con trol' cable' 35'i'n"the same direction and at' the Cir same speed as the said cable 23, andwhile the two cables are moving relative to the boom there is norelative movement between them, or between the cable 35 and the bucket,which would shift the lever 2l and produce opening of the door. However,if during such bucket traverse the motor 53 be actuatedi to retract theyoke 5i and its idlers 4I and 5, the result will be an acceleration ofthe speed of the lower portion of the door-control cable and acorresponding retardation of the lower portion of the cable 36,producing relative longitudinal movement between suchcable portions andthe corresponding. portions of the traverse cables 23 and 3|, whichwillshift the bell-crank 2i and open the door. Reverse actuation of themotor S3, with the'buckettraveling in the same outward direction,.willcause acceleration of the cable 3S and retardation of cable 35, withconsequent reverse motion of bell-crank lever 2l and closing of thedoor.

With the bucket traveling inwardly along the boom, actuation of themotor will produce the same results as regards opening and closing ofthedoor.y In this case however, retraction of theyoke 5l and its idlerswill produce retardation of cable 35'relative to traverse cable 23, andacceleration of cable 3S relative to traverse cable 3i, to producedooropening, and of course a reverse action'wh'en the yoke is movedoutwardly; tosecure door closing.

So long as the pistonof motor 53' is stationany, Whatever its positionin its cylinder may be, the door will be maintained in a correspondingposition relative to its limits of travel, regardless of whether thebucket be stationary on the boom; or traveling in either direction'thereon; On the other hand, actuation of the motor in either directionat any timewillproduce ay corresponding opening or closing movement of"the door,` in-like degree; and'thus the operator may have fullcontrol'over the door atl all times and under all operating conditions;

Whilethe traverse Icables 23 and 3l have been referred to'as separate.cables, obviously; like'the door-control cable, they maybe diierent'portions of a single cable which isattached'to the carriage by theanchor24.

What is claimed is:

l. In apparatus' for distributing. concrete and the like, thecombination 'of a trackway; a receptacle reciprocatably mounted on saidvtrackway" and having a discharge-controlling door movable to and from aclosedlposition; a receptacle-traversing cable extending along thetrackway and connected to theY receptacle.; means for. moving. saidcable in. either. direction along the trackway at will, tov traverse thereceptacle thereon;Y a Separate door-control cable having a portionextending alongv the trackway; connections. between the receptacle door.and saidv portion of. the. door-control cable, operable through relativemovements between the two cables to move said door from and to itsclosed position; means for moving saidl door-control cable insynchronism. with. the receptacle-traversing cable, whereby to. normallyprevent actuation of said door operating means and thus maintain thedoor in a determined4 position;. and mechanism movable to Volitionallyvariable extents and actingv upon the door-control' cable while somoving to differentiate the rates of movement of the two-cablesregardless of the direction and rate of movement of the traversingcable, whereby to actuat'e said' door operating connections and move thedoor to an extent corresponding to the extent of operation of saidmechanism.

2. In apparatus for distributing concrete and the like, the combinationof a trackway; a receptacle mounted on said trackway for reciprocationthereon, said receptacle having a door for controlling discharge ofmaterial therefrom; a receptacle traversing cable having outwardtraverseand inward-traverse portions connected to the receptacle and extendingalong the trackway; a winding drum for driving said cable; a separatedoor-control cable substantially paralleling said traversing cable alongsaid trackway; connections between said door-control cable and thereceptacle door, operable through relative movement between the twocables to move said door; a winding drum for said door-control cable;means for operating the two winding drums in synchronism whereby to movecorresponding portions of the two cables in like directions at equalspeeds and thus normally prevent actuation of said door operatingconnections and maintain the door in a given position; and meansengageable with said door-control cable and operable at will totemporarily accelerate and decelerate portions of such cable adjacentthe door operating connections, with resultant actuation of the latterand shifting of the door to a different position.

3. In concrete distributing apparatus for a mixing machine having aframe, the combination of a boom carried by said mixer frame; areceptacle mounted for reciprocation on the boom and having a dischargecontrolling door; a pair of winding drums mounted on said mixer frame; atraversing cable connected to the receptacle and having outward-traverseand inward-traverse portions extending along the boom and to one of saidwinding drums; a separate door-control cable substantially parallelingsaid traversing cable along the boom and extending to the other ofwinding drums; door operating mechanism connected to said control cable,operable through differential movement or the two cables; means foroperating said winding drums in unison whereby to move complementaryportions of the two cables in like directions at equal speeds, thusnormally preserving a determined relationship between them whichprevents actuation of said door operating mechanism and maintains thedoor in a given position; and a reversible motor on the mixer framehaving means engaging the door-control cable, said motor being operableat the volition of the operator to temporarily increase or decrease thespeed of portions of said door-control cable adjacent the door operatingmechanism, with resultant actuation of the latter and shifting of thedoor to a different position.

GEORGE K. VIALL. RUDOLPH F. LINDOW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Faber et al July 28, 1942 Schiro Dec.28, 1948 Number

